Guardian Angel
by SilverSnowflake9798
Summary: Aizawa didn't believe L even knew what it was like to care about someone other than himself. He didn't know just how far L would go to help the people he considered friends. No pairing. Set after Aizawa leaves the task force, before L's death.


**Hi, this is my first death note fanfic. Not a pairing. Hope you like it.**

Aizawa loved his daughter. She was the apple of his eye, his ray of sunshine. But because he loved his daughter he knew one thing was important in order to keep her safe and happy.

And that was to not spoil her.

"But daddy, I want cake!" His daughter complained in a high-pitched voice, trying to pull him back towards the bakery. But Aizawa was much bigger than his daughter, and her struggles were useless. She yanked on his hand again, and Aizawa had to stop so his daughter didn't fall over. She was huffing and panting softly, her cheeks turning pink from the effort. "Please daddy! I promise I'll be extra, extra good today!"

"Yumi, when we get home your mothers going to have dinner ready," he tried to reason with his panting daughter, who let go of his hand so she could sit on his foot. Stubbornly, she wrapped her arms around his knees and legs around his ankle, not touching the ground. A few people around them were staring, making Aizawa sigh in exasperation. "You can't have ice-cream before you've eaten dinner!"

"Please daddy," She begged as if he hadn't spoken. "I promise I will never ask for anything ever again!" Aizawa had been a parent long enough to know that wasn't true.

Shaking his head he pulled her off of his leg so they could continue walking. "Yumi, no means no. If you keep asking me about this, then we won't go to the park." Yumi pouted, bitterly allowing her father to set her on her feet again. Crossing her arms and huffed, making her cheeks poof out and her lower lip stick up.

"Fine." Angry at her father she hurried to run to the park ahead of him, hoping that she would somehow be fast enough so that he wouldn't be able to catch up. But Aizawa had no trouble following his daughter to the park that already had a lot of kids playing at already. Yumi obviously didn't want to play with him, so instead he decided to take a seat on one of the nearby benches. Another adult, a mother he guessed, was sitting on the other end. When he took a seat she shifted a bit further away to maintain the illusion that she was alone, focusing on the book she was reading. Aizawa didn't mind. He wasn't one for small-talk with strangers. Instead he kept a watchful eye on his daughter as she ran around the playground. Already she had found a group of children to play with and from what he could tell she was playing some version of tag. He tried to pay attention to what his daughter was doing, but after some time his thoughts drifted.

It had been a few weeks since he quit the task force and went back to working as a cop. No one at the police talked about it or even brought it up. But he could see the questions in their eyes. They wanted to know what it was like working with the famous L. It was a dream that many cops had, a situation that could make anyone's career. If the case that L had been working on been any different he had no doubt that all of them would have jumped at the chance to work with him, not caring if they trusted him or not. Aizawa had lived their dream, and they wanted to know what happened. See if it was really the experience they wanted it to be. Aizawa knew the truth. And it wasn't the big miracle everyone thought it was.

L was nothing like they had imagined. When people pictured L, they all imagined different things. Many imagined a large business man wearing a suit and a trench coat constantly. He would be like the stereotypical detective, a Sherlock Holmes, impressive and perfect. They all thought he was a hero, but that was hopes and not the truth. Aizawa knew the truth. He was no hero. Not a seeker of justice or righteousness. It was all just a game to him. He would take down anyone in his way to get what he wanted. It was a puzzle, a game and he loved to play. A master manipulator, and Aizawa hated it.

He'd been impressed at first. L had certainly lived up to his reputation, in person just as much as through the computer. He was impressive, intelligent, beyond imagination. But once the awe and the magic all wore off, you remember that he was human. And he was not perfect. There was his arrogance, how rude he was to others, and how secretive he was. That Aizawa could live with. He'd dealt with worse over his lifetime. But his way of doing things showed the true colors that Aizawa couldn't handle. Without a thought he put cameras in people's houses, invading their privacy and everyday lives. He put Misa in restraints, and allowed Watari to do whatever was necessary to get the information. For more than a month he had Misa, Light and his own chief behind bars, and the effort had turned out to be useless. Then, the last straw, he'd forced Aizawa to choose between his work and his family. He'd shown his loyalty to the group already, hadn't he? He'd worked hard and wanted nothing more than to bring Kira down. But he still had his family, and it was his duty to keep them safe. Was that so wrong? No, it wasn't enough for L. He had to be constantly testing him, even though he knew that making him worry like that was for nothing. L had known that he could keep his family safe, L had even made preparations, and Aizawa wouldn't have had to choose if he'd just told him that. Who was he to test him like that? What gave him the right? Did he think that Aizawa was just a pawn that he could use? For his games? No, he wasn't. L could go ahead and have his fun, but Aizawa wouldn't be work him. He hated him, and how he worked!

 _That's too bad. Because I always liked you Aizawa._

Aizawa unclenched his hands, not aware that he had been digging into his palms with his nails. L's words echoed through his head, making his guilt grow every time. L had said himself that he didn't have many friends. But he said that he liked Aizawa. L had a weird way of doing things, so perhaps he really hadn't intended to insult him. Could they be considered friends?

No, he shook his head. He and L were not friends. They hardly could be considered allies. The only one L had ever called his friend was Light, and he doubted it would change. No, the only reason L dealt with Aizawa was because he was one of the only ones who were willing to put his life on the line to catch Kira. Now that Aizawa wasn't helping them anymore, he doubted that he ever crossed his mind. He had just wanted to get the last word.

But what if he was wrong?

Aizawa sighed and leaned back staring at the clouds passing over. Not only did L like puzzles, he was a puzzle. He doubted he would never figure out the truth one way or another.

…

* * *

Yumi was great at hide-and-seek. In her head, she was convinced that no one else would ever find her. The new friends that she had made, Lee, Shiko and the rest who had already been caught were searching for her and one other girl to no avail. She had to cover her mouth to stop from giggling. No, she had to win. She was a secret agent undercover, just like her daddy. No one would ever be able to find her.

When someone tapped her on the shoulder, she nearly yelped.

Turning, she saw a strange man kneeling down beside her. He looked like a kind man, and automatically she assumed he was one of her new friend's fathers. He was wearing regular cloths, an orange t-shirt and jeans. She wouldn't be surprised if her father wore the same thing someday. His smile was kind and disarming, and Yumi couldn't help but smile back. "Hello. Are you one of the kids playing with my son?"

So he WAS someone's father. She thought he looked like Lee a bit. With that in mind she was able to trust him a lot easier, and nodded quickly. "Yup. But don't tell him where I'm hiding, since I want to win!" She man laughed, but kept his voice down so no one else could hear.

"Just a tip, I don't think hiding under the slide is going to work much longer. When they come over here, you'll be caught for sure." Yumi frowned at the idea of being caught so easily. As if on cue, she heard some of the other kids heading over her way.

In a panic she asked the man, "Then where should I hide?" This seemed to be exactly what the man wanted to hear.

Holding a hand out to her he suggested. "Here, follow me. I'll bring you to a great hiding spot." Her face brightened almost comically.

"Really?" He nodded with a kind smile.

"Sure! It's right over here, just at the edge of the park!" In the back of her mind, Yumi remembered her daddy telling her to never go off with strangers. He said they may be dangerous and out to hurt you. But the man in front of her was her friend's dad, so he couldn't have been a bad person. Why would a father try to hurt someone else's child? So she took the hand that the man offered her and allowed herself to be led further away from her own father.

The man led her over to hide behind a bunch of trees at the edge of the park as well as the forest. She didn't think it was a very good hiding spot, but to her surprise none of the other kids came over to find her. She smiled and turned to the man in delight. "This is the best hiding spot ever! Thanks' Lee's daddy!" The man smiled, but didn't say anything. Instead he reached into his pocket and pulled something out before popping it into his mouth. Yumi glanced at him curiously. "What are you eating?" He blinked innocently.

"Oh, this? It's just some candy! Why, do you want some?" Her father and mother had both told her to never take food from a stranger when they weren't around. But her father wasn't that far away, and he was Lee's dad! Besides, he'd already helped her hide in the game, proving himself trustworthy in her eyes. Why wouldn't she trust him? And her father hadn't gotten her the treat she wanted, making her mouth water for sweets. Without thinking, she nodded automatically. The man's smile was innocent and blameless as he reached into his other pocket to grab some candy. To her surprise, it wasn't the same colour as the one that the man had eaten, or the same shape. It was plain white, and circular instead of fruit-shaped. But the man continued to smile at her, so it must have just been a different kind. And Yumi LOVED candy. Eagerly, she reached for the candy in his hand.

"Don't you think you shouldn't spoil your dinner Yumi?"

Both she and the man jumped, spinning around to find a third man in their party. He was a tall man, wearing a big trench coat and dark cloths underneath. His had dark skin and no hair, like one of those people from the American movies her mommy sometimes watched. The man looked much scarier than the man behind her, or at least she thought. Once another person had come into the picture, his disarming smile had become a dark smile, and he had grabbed Yumi's arm forcefully. She yelped and tried to pull away, but the man didn't budge. "Don't you think you should mind your own business mister," He scoffed in a gruff, unfriendly voice. It sent shivers down Yumi's spine.

But the man across from them didn't even flinch. "It doesn't seem smart for a young girl to eat sweets before dinnertime." He turned back to Yumi, and his voice became much softer. "Yumi, do you know this man?" Yumi wasn't sure how he knew her name, but she had no problem with responding to the simple question.

"No, but it's alright! He's Lee's father!"

"Did Lee say this man was his father?"

Yumi deflated. "Well, no."

The man behind her started to sweat. "That's none of your business! What is it to you? Who the heck do you think you are?"

He simply smiled at him. "Just a concerned citizen. And it looks to me like this girl's father is looking for her." Once she listened, in the distance Yumi could hear her father calling for her.

The other man who had been so nice to her before spat as he growled at the man. "H-how do you know I'm not her father? What the heck is wrong with you man? Look, just leave us alone, we're leaving!" before Yumi could object, the man grabbed both of her arms and lifted her off the ground. Yumi was too shocked to scream, completely clueless as to what was going on around her and why the man would grab her like that.

Before she could do anything, the other man acted. So quick she couldn't see, he swiftly punched the man in the face, narrowly missing the crown of Yumi's head. The man howled in pain, instinctively letting go of Yumi. She yelped, but before she could hit the ground the other man caught her gently, refusing to let a hair on her head be hurt. His howl had raised the attention of others, and all around mothers were hurrying over to their children. Out of the corner of her eye Yumi noticed Lee going over to the women who was sitting next to her father. Aizawa hurried over to the sound, unable to see what was happening behind the trees. The man's face was angry and cruel, but panicked when he realized he had been caught. Stumbling, he tried to get away but the other man was faster. Keeping a hold of Yumi so she wouldn't get hurt he kicked the back of the man's legs so he would trip and fall. To make sure he couldn't get away he kicked him swiftly at the side of his head, knocking him out quickly and efficiently. It happened so quickly Yumi had a hard time processing it all. But at the end of it, all she could understand was that she was safe.

As she realized this, the man put her down gently. "I'm sure your father has already told you this, but you shouldn't go off with strangers." Yumi nodded in a daze.

"Who are you mister?" The man hesitated, not wanting to blow his cover. Quickly he came up with a cover and gave her a kind smile.

"Let's just call me your guardian angel." This made Yumi frown. She always thought angels were supposed to wear white. As her dad got closer the man knew he had to get away. When he got up he remembered one thing he was told to do when dealing with the child. Reaching into his coat pocket he pulled out a large box and handed it to the girl right-side up. "Here," he told her. "Since you didn't get any earlier. Be sure to ask your father before you eat any." Then he hurried away, and it was as if he hadn't been there in the first place.

Aizawa ran through the trees, finding his daughter safe and sound. "Yumi!" she turned to him, and when she saw it was her dad she hurried over to him and tackled him in a hug. Carefully he picked her up, making sure she was alright. "Are you hurt? Did anything happen?" Yumi pointed a little ways away, and Aizawa turned. In surprise, he saw a man lying unconscious on the ground. A trickle of blood came from his nose and there was a large bruise on his head. There was no way his daughter could have done that.

"He told me he was Lee's dad, so he brought me over here so we could hide. Then a man came over and he got really scary, and he grabbed my arm really tight." Aizawa almost chocked when he saw that both of his daughters arms were red, likely going to result in bruises later. It took all his willpower not to hurt the man himself. "But then another man came over and beat him up before hurrying away. Then you got here daddy!" She added, hugging his neck. Aizawa hugged her back fiercely, determined to never let his daughter be put in a situation like that ever again. He would have to be sure to talk to her when they got home. Turning back to the man, he decided to call the other police and let them deal with it. He was off duty at the moment.

As he put her down gently so he could pull out his phone, a thought struck him. "Yumi, who was it that saved you?" Yumi smiled a big, bright smile.

"My guardian angel daddy! My guardian angel saved me!"

Aizawa blinked. An angel?

…

* * *

L sipped a bit of his coffee before frowning. _Not good._ Reaching forward he grabbed another three cubes of sugar and dropped them in. That wasn't enough either.

"L, should we be doing something now?" he turned to Light who was sitting next to him. Misa Amane was sitting on the desk in front of him, blocking his view of the screens that showed various rooms in the building and his computer. She was pouting, obviously not happy that Light wasn't paying enough attention to her. Curiously he wondered if any amount of attention Light gave her could be enough, or would she not be satisfied until he was chained to her like L was. "I mean, don't you think we should be working? We haven't done really anything today."

Dropping some more sugar cubes into his coffee he explained, "There is nothing to do until Wedy has finished putting up the camera's and wiretaps in Yoshuba's office building. Even then, we still have to wait until the end of the week for them to have the actual meeting about who Kira will kill." Light nodded, but he could tell he wasn't satisfied. He had gotten antsy lately, wanting to catch Kira much quicker than he had before. Perhaps it was in part because he wanted to prove that he wasn't Kira more than before, or maybe he could add it onto the changes he'd made after he got out of prison. L still wondered why he had changed so much. It just made him all the more suspicious. Light went back to talking to Misa about who knew what while L went back to trying to fix his coffee.

There was a beep, and L glanced up at the screen in front of him. On it was the notification from Watari that he had gotten mail. Considering the fact that Watari hadn't announced it, he could only assume that it was information that didn't have to do with the case.

Quickly he made sure Light was to occupied with talking to Misa to notice before checking it for more details. The top of it wrote, 'report from Mr. Stewart.' L had a hard time remembering which one Mr. Stewart was. Was that the one who he'd sent to make sure the Yagami household was safe? No, he'd sent two operatives there, since the chief had a wife and daughter. The one who he'd sent to keep an eye on Matsuda's grandmother who lived close by? Opening it, he read over the report to find out.

 _Report on the Aizawa household._

 _At the park Police cop Aizawa's daughter, Yumi Aizawa, was almost kidnapped by an unknown perpetrator._

 _Kidnapper was taken down and Yumi was able to safely be found by her father. May have been discovered. Present was left with the daughter._

 _Family seems alright._

 _End of report._

Ah, the man he'd hired to watch over the Aizawa household. He'd been wise in choosing a man who usually protected children to watch them. L was glad his operative had kept the girl safe. He couldn't stand people who would want to hurt a child. It was good to know that his friend and his family were alright. The only problem was that if he had left the present with them, it would be likely Aizawa would recognize it. He didn't know how he would react to it. It had been L's idea to give it to them when he heard Aizawa had a child. 89% of children liked treats. But Aizawa might get angry. Hm…

"What's that L?" L turned, reminded that he wasn't alone in the room. Light had turned back to him, but luckily was sitting too far away to see the screen.

Before he got a chance, L hurried to get rid of any traces of the email. "Mm, nothing. Just Watari telling me that we're running out of cake. Misa, is there any chance you have any cake that you aren't going to eat?"

…

* * *

"Look daddy!" Yumi caught his attention after he finished his phone call, confirming the police were on their way. "Look at what the angel gave me!" Aizawa looked down to see his daughter had opened a brown box to find out what was inside. When Aizawa saw what it was he felt a sense of shock, confusion, anger, guilt and serenity hit him all at once.

In the box Yumi was holding was a strawberry cake.


End file.
